Birthday Cake Bread – you’ve got to make this even if it ain’t your birthday yet!! All those colorful sprinkles are just the thing you need to bring you some cheer! 🙂

I am not someone who has ever made a proper frosted birthday cake. Although baking is such a stressbuster, I can’t bring myself to frost a cake. I’m afraid that I may not be able to make it look good enough to eat so I’d rather keep a cake naked yet pretty! So for folks like me, this Birthday Cake Breadis the answer!

See the pretty colors of the sprinkles in the cake and that crumb! That’s a perfect 10 crumb! The buttery taste is a bonus for sure! This recipe is just right even if you wish to make a Basic Pound Cake, just skip the sprinkles. But I can’t be taking all the credit for this one, I’m thoroughly inspired bake from scratch when I first saw it about 5 months ago. I had decided on making it that very minute but I had to get hold of the recipe, which I eventually did. This is the third time I’ve baked this Birthday Cake Bread and it turns out better each time!

I’ve adapted the recipe and then changed it ever so little just to perfect the crumb to my liking. This is the third attempt and it is the version I’ll be sharing with you guys here as it is fool-proof! Minimal efforts and basic pantry essentials are all that one needs to see this one through.

Ensure that you use a good quality of sprinkles so that they don’t bleed their colors into the cake and spoil the beautiful yellow cake. (Still, if you are not sure about their quality, dust them with some flour before adding to the cake batter)**

Bring all the ingredients to room temperature. Preheat the oven @ 180’C. Prepare the cake tin (I’ve used a 7 inch loaf tin) by either lining it with a piece of parchment paper or grease it with butter and dust it with some flour.
Start with creaming the butter and sugar together, scrapping down the sides of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Took me about 5 minutes using an electric whisk.
Next, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the yolk. Pause to scrap down the sides of the bowl as you whisk these together with the butter and sugar.
Add the vanilla extract, whisk again for a minute.
Sift in the salt along with the flour.
Use a rubber spatula to cut and fold the flour into the wet ingredients at this stage.
Make sure you do not over mix the batter. Add the sprinkles**
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake @180’c for 45-50 minutes.

Once baked, remove the tin from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before unmolding the cake.

Let the cake cool down for a further 10 minutes before slicing.
This cake keeps well at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Birthday Cake Bread - you've got to make this even if it ain't your birthday yet!! All those colorful sprinkles are just the thing you need to bring you some cheer!

Ingredients

3/4 cup castor sugar (adjust as per your preference, this tastes good enough)

1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature

2 nos. large eggs

1 no. egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup All Purpose flour (maida)

1/4 tsp. salt

2-3 tbsp. sprinkles**

Instructions

Bring all the ingredients to room temperature. Preheat the oven @ 180'C.

Prepare the cake tin (I've used a 7 inch loaf tin) by either lining it with a piece of parchment paper or grease it with butter and dust it with some flour.

Start with creaming the butter and sugar together, scrapping down the sides of the bowl, until light and fluffy.

Took me about 5 minutes using an electric whisk.

Next, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the yolk.

Pause to scrap down the sides of the bowl as you whisk these together with the butter and sugar.

Add the vanilla extract, whisk again for a minute.

Sift in the salt along with the flour.

Use a rubber spatula to cut and fold the flour into the wet ingredients at this stage.

Make sure you do not over mix the batter. Add the sprinkles**

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake @180'c for 45-50 minutes.

Once baked, remove the tin from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before unmolding the cake.

Let the cake cool down for a further 10 minutes before slicing.

This cake keeps well at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

Notes

Use good quality sprinkles.
Adding the extra yolk ensures that lovely yellow color and the batter emulsifies better so the texture is perfect.
The extra yolk acts as a butter but cannot replace the butter or vice versa.
You can omit the sprinkles if you wish and make a plain cake. Keep the recipe same even if you plan on adding nuts.
THIS RECIPE DOES NOT CALL FOR ANY BAKING POWDER OR BAKING SODA (there is no error in the ingredient list).
I let the cake sit for 3-4 hours before slicing, it results in neat slices. Do not slice the cake when warm else, it will result in crumbly slices.